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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — for pool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — happening now
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com